Tourism ministry makes ''wildlife'' theme for Incredible India

New Delhi, August 11

The Tourism Ministry on Sunday updated the Incredible India website to boost wildlife tourism.

The website, which previously featured pictures and videos of mostly monuments and tourist spots, now showcases landscapes, waterfalls and tiger reserves. Pictures from Jim Corbett National Park, Ranthambore National Park and other national parks now feature on the home page of Incredible India.

These pictures and videos would stay on the website for about two months, said an official.

The new theme is said to be based on Prime Minister Narendra Modi's appearance in Discovery channel's wildlife adventure show 'Man vs Wild'. In the episode, slated to be aired on Monday, celebrity host Bear Grylls shares screen space with Modi.

The episode is intended to create awareness about animal conservation and environmental change.

As the Prime Minister was the biggest ambassador for tourism, we decided to back his initiative by adopting the wildlife theme on the website, said Union Tourism Minister Prahlad Singh Patel.

According to a statement from the channel earlier, the special episode, featuring survivalist and adventurer Bear Grylls and shot in Jim Corbett National Park, Uttarakhand, will be a "frank and freewheeling journey" which will throw light on wildlife conservation.

In a teaser released earlier by the channel, Grylls, popularly known as Bear Grylls, gives Modi an improvised version of a spear as a safeguard against potential attack by a tiger.

Modi then tells him: "My upbringing does not allow me to take a life. However, I will hold it (the spear) since you insist.

Agencies